Australia

Gomez Agustin, Tibault Nicolas, Venencio Evelin, Villagra Camila

Australia is a country in the southern hemisphere. This country comprises the mainland of
the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. Its neighboring
countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu;
and New Zealand. Its capital is Canberra.

History

In the 40,000 BC, the first Aborigines arrived from south-east Asia. They started to spread
throughout the mainland and Tasmania.

In 1770, Captain James Cook charted in the east coast. Cook claimed it as a British possession
and named eastern Australia "New South Wales". In 1850s, gold was found at several locations
leading to gold rushes. Because of this, aborigines were mistreated.

Many years later, in 1901, the country was finally unified. The Commonwealth of Australia was
formed on 1st January, leading to Independence from Britain. Ten years later, Canberra was
founded and designated as the capital.

Between World War I and World War II, Australia suffered significantly from the Great
Depression, which took place in 1929. Nevertheless, Australia supported Great Britain in WWII
and committed hundreds of thousands of troops to the British war effort.

Australia had a big post-war immigration from Europe. The next 30 years that followed the
end of WWII, began a scheme for immigration from Europe. More than 3 million people arrived
to the country. [1] Due to this, in 1975, Australia introduced new immigration laws, restricting
the number of unskilled workers allowed into the country. [2]

In 1967, there were some changes in the Australian constitution. The section which excluded
Aboriginal people from official census was removed. Another change enabled federal
government to pass laws on Aboriginal issues. [3] In fact, in 2008 the Australian parliament
formally apologized for past wrongs committed against the Aboriginal people. [4]

In 1986, Australian law became fully independent of the British parliament and legal system.

Culture

Australia has a very diverse culture and lifestyle. Australia's original inhabitants, the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander peoples, are the ones responsible to continue with the oldest cultural
traditions. The rest of Australia's people are immigrants or descendants of migrants, mostly
from Great Britain.
 All Australians have the right to express their culture and beliefs and to participate freely in
Australia's national life. Australians are known worldwide because of being friendly and easy
going.

Australia has no official state religion and people are free to practise any religion they choose
or they are also free to practise no religion.

Sport is an important part of Australian culture dating back to the early colonial period.
Cricket, Golf, Netball, Rugby, swimming, football and Australian Rules Football are the most
popular ones in the country. [5] In 2000, Australia hosted the Olympic Games for the second
time (the first time hosting this games were in Melbourne, 1956) in Sydney, the most popular
ever.

Regarding to art, Australia has an art scene that reflects both the nation's Indigenous cultural
traditions and the migrant cultures living there, so it is very diverse.

Education

School education is similar across all of Australia with only minor variations between states
and territories. Primary school starts at Kindergarten and runs for seven or eight years.
Secondary school is divided into secondary school, that runs for three or four years and senior
secondary school which runs for two years. Australian students finish their secondary school
education as a whole being sixteen years old. School education is 12 years. [6]

Tertiary education is divided into two sectors; Vocational Education and Training (VET) and
Higher Education. Higher education is comprised of both technical colleges and universities,
offering technical, undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. Australian higher education
is well known for being very welcoming of international students. VET is by registered training
organisations. Australia's VET sector is internationally recognized because it provides one of the
best practice in vocational training in the world.

Fauna

In Australia there are more than 378 species of mammals, 828 species of birds, 300 species of
lizards, 140 species of snakes and two species of crocodiles. Of the mammals, almost half are
marsupials. [7]

Australia has a great quantity of native fauna and it is due to the continent having been
isolated for millions of years. This allowed unique animals to establish easily in the country,
such as koalas, kangaroos, platypus, etc.

Climate

In Australia there are six climatic zones and this translates as two main seasonal patterns.
Australias tropical region, which is located in the north of the country, has a wet/dry pattern.
Australias south is typically cooler, receiving an icy breeze from Antarctica. Australia, being
such a big country, offers a climate to suit everyone thanks to its variety. [8]
References

[1] Fact sheet - Key facts about immigration. Australian Government Department of
Immigration and Border Protection

[2] The changing face of modern Australia 1950s to 1970s. Australian Government.

[3] Korff, J. (2017) Australian 1967 Referendum. Creative Spirits.

[4] Sands, N. (2008) Australia says 'sorry' to Aborigines. The Sydney Morning Herald.

[5] Willoughby, J. (2016) Australias most popular sport: Landmark study. The New Daily.

[6] Australian education system. Australian Government.

[7] Our natural environment. Australian Government.

[8] Australian Climate. Australia 101.